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March 17, 2005

Madeleine Coree Marshall came into the world by C-section at 11:40 this morning.  She was squirming, crying and drooling, so I knew immediately that things were okay.  Her APGAR scores were 8 & 9 (no baby gets a 10), so she was in great shape!  (I think she lost a point because she was so blue <I was surprised -- it was more than just her hands and feet> and perhaps one because of her pulse rate, but they didn't tell me so I don't know for sure.)

She weighed 3.2 kgs (in some phone calls she miraculously gained 0.2 kgs).  They didn't give a length, so I'm bringing the tape measure today.

Jo eventually had a C-section. She entered the hospital Tuesday evening at 6:00 pm and was having regular strong contractions. By Tuesday night they were very painful and very close together, so she didn't sleep at all. All day Wednesday she had contractions -- although they were somewhat irregular (7 - 3 minutes apart). We tried Pitocin at 2:00 and Jo almost immediately had a long painful contractions, so we stopped it after the one minimal dose. At 2:10 she had what seemed like a 20 minute contraction and her water broke, but really it was only a long slow leak. The rest of the day continued like that. By 3:00 Jo asked for an epidural and by 5:00 it was inserted. She didn't take any of the analgesic until 6:00 though. The epidural was only partially effective (right side pain free, left side, not) but she was able to rest some. Thursday night the contractions were strong, frequent and close together, so another sleepless night. With the epidural not working completely, she didn't get much relief.

Thursday morning came and Jo was exhausted. The ultrasound reveled that she had dilated only 1.8 cm! Jo was heart broken and feeling very defeated. Her options were to continue, take more Pitocin or a C-section. Jo being ever the practical woman, chose the C-section. Within an hour she was in the operating room (and so was I!). In five minutes, Madeleine was born.

I've never heard a cry more beautiful -- it was like music.  I immediately started to cry.  The nicest thing about the C-section was that Jo was awake and alert through it all and we could make eye contact!  I was never more happy in all of my life and I never loved two people more than Jo and Madeleine.  It is a feeling I want to remember for ever.

They took another hour to finish up with Jo and they put Madeleine under a heat lamp for four hours. It took us a while to find Jo and for her to be released from post-op -- for a couple of hours no one seemed to know where she was -- and I was able to hold Madeleine for only one agonizingly short brief moment!

We were able to visit Jo in the post-op (a comedy caper if there ever was one, but too long of a story for now) and she eventually came up to the room. I was out looking for food (it was 3:00 pm Thursday by now and no one had eaten today, and Jo hadn't had much since Tuesday) and deliver diapers and wipes to the nursery (They wanted 35 diapers -- we brought 10. In Korea you have to bring all of the ancillaries to the hospital, they supply little.) When I was there, I asked if she could be brought to our room and they agreed! For some reason it seemed like a big surprise, but now I remember them telling us three months ago that it was possible. Madeleine spent the rest of the night with us and is there now!

Madeleine at 3 hours old

Micheline and I were having difficulty locating Jo after her surgery, but in the course of searching for her, we were told that we could see Madeleine through the nursery window at 1:30 p.m.  Of course, we were there right on time.  the whole arrangement is somewhat antiquated, but seems to work.

Madeleine in the nursery

Madeleine looking through the window at Grand-maman Chauvin.  Her eyes are the deepest most beautiful blue!

Jo waiting for Madeleine

This is Jo just after she was returned to us from the post-op ward.  She is with Bunnybear who substituted admirably for Madeleine and quickly became a favorite.

Madeleine at 5 hours old

After having located Jo and speaking to her in the recovery room, it wasn't long until she was brought to our private room.  A couple of hours later, I was going out to buy diapers, wipes and pizza.  Once I had the diapers and wipes, I figured I needn't carry them to the pizzeria, so I delivered them to the nursery.  While was there in my deeply flawed Korean I mistakenly asked to bring Madeleine to our room to which the nurse readily agreed.

Jo holding Madeleine for the first time

This is my favorite picture so far.  Jo is radiant as she holds Madeleine for the first time!  It never fails to choke me up.  Out of general interest, you see the thing on Jo's left shoulder?  That is the infusion site for her epidural.  There is a very thin tube running to the catheter in her spine.

Jon holding Madeleine

This is the first time for me to hold Madeleine.  Do I look happy or scared?

Bunnybear Madeleine substitute extraordinaire

This is a better shot of Bunnybear who was given to Madeleine by her cousins Gabrielle and Stephanie Ayers.